Horses are not like other pets. They require endless amounts of care and attention, and on top of that, exercising them properly is a sport in itself, which cannot really be compared to walking a dog, watching a hamster on its wheel, or letting the cat out the back door.
Indeed, so intensive is horse care that most owners usually enlist the services of a professional stables, which for an added cost can pamper your animal till the cows come home.
However, not every amateur rider has the financial flexibility to just throw good money after bad at stable fees.
So, with those horse owners in mind, we put together a list of cost-effective solutions that will have the special long-nose in your life thinking they are being given the thoroughbred racehorse treatment.
Take some of these horse care tips onboard and transform yourself into a veritable horse whisperer
Apps Used by Pro Racing Trainers Give You 24/7 Piece of Mind
Once upon a time the only way for horse owners to check in with their elegant beasts was to either stable them at the bottom of the garden or to constantly be on the phone to their stables, making sure that the vet had paid a visit, or their hay had been replenished.
Thankfully, those days are gone, because owners can now monitor their horse just like pro racing trainers do, using apps and wearable tracking systems that tell users everything from how fatigued an animal is, to whether it needs a bite to eat.
Prices range greatly for such high-tech systems. At the cheap end of the spectrum there are apps like Trackener, which despite only costing a tenner a month is widely used by trainers and owners whose horses feature in races like the Grand National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The app will even send alerts if your horse becomes dehydrated or grows too restless at night.
For an even more in-depth insight into your animal’s wellbeing, there is Nightwatch. This product’s technology is built into a custom-made leather halter, meaning the horse won’t have a clue you are checking in on him or her. However, this kind of equine luxury comes at a price, costing in the range of $1,000, meaning that for now only the likes of the top favourites for the Gold Cup will be getting their snouts shrouded by one of these state-of-the-art devices.
Do not worry, though, because apps like Trackener and Equilab are more than competent enough for 99.99% of horse lovers.
Your horse will jump for joy as you treat he or she like a thoroughbred racehorse
Next Level Grooming Tools Spoil Your Long-Nosed Beast
One of the absolute basics of horse care is to keep your trusty steed looking top dollar with regular grooming sessions.
There is a whole grooming checklist of things a horse owner should be ticking off on an almost daily basis, including brushing out the tail, picking out the hooves, and even using special horsey face wipes to clean eyes and nostrils.
With so much grooming needing to be done, you may find that some of your brushes, picks, and combs begin to look the worse for wear.
When they are eventually no longer fit for purpose, why not swap them for some fancy new grooming tools that will have your horse looking resplendent in the paddock?
While exclusive equestrian lifestyle brands like Renwick and Sons offer luxury grooming kits that costs hundreds of pounds, there are other innovative tools like the Equilibrium Therapy Massage Mitt which not only helps groom your horse but also provides a soothing massage.
There are also special plaiting kits available from the good people at Smart Grooming, stocking everything you need to get your animal ready for a dressage event.
Keeping Your Horse Calm in the Midst of a Storm
Horses are renowned for being skittish, and so anything owners can do to maintain a calm environment for them is worth doing.
That is the modus operandi of Relaxopet Pro Horse. A wireless speaker that is simple to recharge, Relaxopet does exactly what its name suggests, keeping your horse, and any other nearby animals, calm no matter if there is a thunderstorm raging outside or the next-door neighbour is having an all-night barn rave.
Supplementing Your Horse’s Diet Can Have Surprising Effects
Sometimes no matter how much effort you put into keeping your horse happy, there is something that just continues to bother the poor old animal.
This can be anything from chronic indigestion to their coat losing its usual healthy sheen. While in such instances the first port of call should always be a vet, owners can also look into supplementing their horse’s feed with products such as those created by Science Supplements or VioVet.
These award-winning supplements cater to each individual horse’s needs, meaning after a few weeks on their new diet both horse and owner will begin to see the results of extra vitamins and minerals flowing through the beast’s bones, skin, and muscles.
Just be sure to consult a vet first before changing your animal’s diet. It also never hurts to give the supplement companies in question a ring, to see which one has the product that is best suited to your horse.
Upgrade Your Horse’s Living Quarters
So often, the reason that horses get in a bad mood or their health wanes is down to the fact that their accommodation and shelter is just not up to scratch.
This does not necessarily mean an owner has to move their horse elsewhere, but requires some effort to be put into modifying pre-existing arrangements.
Easy things to take care of are making sure that a stable fully protects your horse from the elements or there being a source of natural light for the animal to bask in.
Another little trick of the trade, that even pro horse racing stable hands use, is to lay down washable stable mats, which protect sensitive hooves and leg muscles.
Pinning rugged matts to the walls of a stable can also encourage a horse to groom itself, so that you don’t have to all the work!
